Leinster are preparing to roll out some of their biggest British and Irish Lions names when they host the Sharks at Aviva Stadium on Saturday – their third South African opponent in as many weeks.
After suffering back-to-back defeats to the Stormers and Bulls on a bruising tour of South Africa, the defending Vodacom URC winners are desperate to kickstart their campaign at the third attempt.
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The Irish giants collected just a single log point from their two-week trip, leaving them second from bottom on the table – one spot behind the Sharks, who themselves are still chasing a first win of the season.
Assistant coach Seán O’Brien confirmed that several of Leinster’s frontline internationals, including winger James Lowe, are expected to feature against the Durbanites.
“There is a few of them available for selection; we’ll have a chat in the morning as coaches and see who is in and who is out,” O’Brien said.
“It would be nice to have a couple of them back involved and add that bit of experience to the group and try and take a step further this week than last week.”
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O’Brien, who stayed in Dublin to work with the returning Lions contingent while the team was in South Africa, believes the reinforcements will help stabilise a Leinster side that has struggled to find rhythm early in the season.
“What’s coming with the Sharks, we know what they pose,” he added.
“They’ll probably be disappointed with what they have done so far in having a loss and a draw, so they want to finish their tour on this side of the world on a high.”
John Plumtree’s Sharks were held to a 17-all draw by the Dragons last week after opening their season with a defeat to Glasgow Warriors.
With the Springboks having wrapped up their Rugby Championship campaign at Twickenham last weekend, there’s an outside chance a few of their stars could link up with the Sharks in Dublin rather than head straight home.
Regardless of who makes the trip, O’Brien insists Leinster’s focus remains inward.
“They can hurt you pretty badly when they’re on it,” he said.
“But this week is more about focusing on ourselves – getting our physicality right and making sure we cover all our detail.”
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